


Smooth

by RedTeamShark



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Caleb & Nott Friendship, Coffee Shop AUs are out; Smoothie Shop AUs are in, Demiromantic Caleb, Fake Dating, Flirting, M/M, Moderately-Paced Burn, Mutual Pining, Relationship Advice, Shopping Malls, Slowly builds a complex AU for a cute idea, Smoothie shop, Texting, Vaguely Mentioned Beau/Yasha, molly is molly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-11-19
Packaged: 2019-06-20 04:04:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15525675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedTeamShark/pseuds/RedTeamShark
Summary: He’s not supposed to flirt with customers.--Mollymauk Tealeaf and Caleb Widogast pretend to have a relationship, accidentally fall in love, and don't know how to talk about their feelings.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to write a lil fic based on my tags on [this post.](http://redteamshark.tumblr.com/post/175510654117/matterized-i-went-to-a-hip-smoothie-shop-earlier)

He’s not supposed to flirt with customers, but that rule is sort of the same as the one that says he’s not supposed to bring the leftover fresh fruits from the end of the day anywhere but to the dumpster. Taking them down to the shelter on his way home is just as easy as long as he doesn’t get caught. Giving a wink or a smile or a little compliment puts some extra cash in the tip jar nine times out of ten.

Mollymauk leans over the counter, his chin held in his hands as Jester stands before him, sipping her smoothie. Mango-pineapple-protein-boost with whipped cream on top and two cherries. She’s one of his favorite regulars, for both her bubbly personality and her constant stream of gossip about the mall.

“And Beau, from the 24 Hour Fitness? Definitely making out with Yasha in the supply closets behind the Urban Outfitters. I mean they haven’t been _caught_ yet but come on, you see the way they look at each other.” She twirls her lanyard around one finger as she talks, looking over her shoulder for a moment. “Though if you really wanna talk _interesting_ …”

“I really do, darling, but your break is over in one and a half minutes.”

“Tomorrow, then. Unless Clay is working instead?”

“Nah, I’m on tomorrow. You know, if it wasn’t for the fact that things get done around here on my days off, I’d start to think that I was the only employee. I’ve literally never met this guy.”

“You’d like him. He’s got a pink mohawk and he brings in this kettle and a hot plate and makes real tea. Like, from leaves he grows in his backyard.” Jester waves her fingers at him, leaving in a not-quite-run as the clock ticks closer to the top of the hour and the end of her break.

With the end of the lunch rush there’s little to do but clean up and wait for the second round of employee breaks. People like the little smoothie kiosk because it’s fast and because it’s in the center of the mall where there are actual couches to sit at rather than the hard plastic chairs of the food court. Molly loads the dirtied blenders into the washer with a hum, his hips shaking to the song that’s currently stuck in his head. He doesn’t even hear someone approach the counter until they clear their throat.

“Be right with you, darling!” He stands up and slams the dishwasher shut, flips the various switches and presses the go button before turning around, giving his customer a wide smile. “Sorry for the wait, what can I get for you?”

Slightly disheveled looking, like he runs his hands through his hair a lot. Stubbled cheeks, a swath of dark gingery hair, and piercing blue eyes that stare not at him but at the incredibly complex menu board. The man shrugs one shoulder up and Molly glances down, sees the overstuffed bag of books in his other hand. All hardcovers, from the look, probably weighing almost thirty pounds. “I… uh… whatever you think is good?”

This is one of his favorite moments, if he’s being perfectly honest with himself. A lull in business, a customer who doesn’t know what they want, and like the cherry on top, the guy’s pretty cute. Molly leans on the counter, his eyes moving up and down the man slow and deliberate, assessing. “Sure, darling. What’s your sign?”

The blank stare holds for almost three full seconds before the guy flushes and mutters under his breath. “Thirty minute parking.”

It’s his turn to be taken aback, to be thrown off. Usually that gets a laugh or a joke or a wink or--or _something_ other than the cryptic answer he’s just received. At his silence the man continues on in a rush.

“The bookstore had some new selections that I had to look into but I really only meant to run in and grab one thing and some lunch before getting back to the campus and this place seems like the fastest place to get something that I can eat while driving. It’s been twenty-three minutes.”

The rush of information is almost too much, but it does give Molly a chance to collect himself. “Well, can I get a name with that?” He’s already pushing buttons on the register, getting a large cup down.

“Caleb.”

He’s back in his groove as he makes the smoothie, adds in protein powder and fresh fruit, tops it with a generous dose of whipped cream and two cherries. Molly slides it across the counter, nodding to the credit card reader with a smile. “That’ll be two-fifty, Mr. Caleb.”

He’s not supposed to flirt with customers, he’s not supposed to donate the leftover fruits to the homeless shelter, and he’s _not_ supposed to use his employee discount for others. But if anyone needs a cheap lunch and a friendly smile, it’s this Caleb guy.

And really, he only broke the last rule right now. Putting his name and number on the napkin is a bit more forward than flirting.

* * *

Out in the parking lot, getting ready to toss the napkin into the pile of junk that is the back seat of his car, Caleb nearly swallows his straw.

_Mollymauk Tealeaf. 999-5757 ;) call me_

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aw sequel what?

Winky smilie face or not, he’s not going to call the guy from the smoothie shop.

Not without at least talking to him again first.

Caleb scrubs a hand against the back of his neck, staring out his windshield to the hulking expanse of the mall. It isn’t precisely a thriving economic center, not like it had been twenty or thirty years previous, but it’s holding on. Anchor stores seem keen on staying and while some smaller shops come and go within months, the staples are there. The Urban Outfitters, the FYE, the food stands. He isn’t sure if the smoothie kiosk is new or old, his usual preference not for a liquid lunch.

With Saturday comes a crowd, the parking lot more than half-full at ten in the morning. Caleb pushes himself out of his car with effort, going around to the trunk and lifting out a half-full milk crate of paperbacks. Saturday is book trade day at his favorite bookstore, he has that excuse planted firmly in the back of his mind if the guy at the smoothie shop wasn’t serious. Or isn’t there. Or a million other rejections.

He forces himself to go to the bookstore first, to turn in his crate of paperbacks--some almost pristinely new, read once or twice and then exchanged, some sent through the exchange three or four times before reaching him--and begins rifling through the offerings from others, selecting and calculating. Technically the exchange is supposed to be one for one, but the slip of a girl behind the counter doesn’t mind if he takes two or three extras, given how regularly he brings in new material. 

“Did you like the new books, Caleb?” She asks him now, leaning on the counter and flipping through a comic book.

“Ah, yes. They were great reads. One of them is in the exchange already.” He gives her a smile, loading his new selections into his crate and lifting it with a grunt of effort. Almost noon, his rumbling stomach reminds him. He’s not at thirty minute parking this time. “I think I’m going to put these in my car and go get some lunch. Are you on break soon? Would you like to join me, Nott?”

“I can go on break in about ten minutes, yeah!” She flips the comic book shut, slipping it under the counter. “Where do you want to meet?”

“Ah, well--” And here is where his plan falls apart, possibly. She’s astute, even if she’s young, if he says the wrong thing she’ll know something is up. “There’s a new place I tried last week…”

Nott’s smile turns wide, the corners of her eyes crinkling. “You liked it? I didn’t think there was any new food around here. Where was it?”

“The smoothie kiosk. I was in a hurry, but it was good.”

“Ah, that place is nice. Let’s meet there in ten minutes?”

Agreement made, they part ways. Caleb rushes back to his car, stuffing his crate of books into his trunk and pulling the napkin, now creased with many foldings and unfoldings, from his pocket. Mollymauk Tealeaf. He’ll go, he’ll say hello by name to hint that he got the note, he’ll--

He’s overthinking it. For all he knows, the guy at the smoothie shop has forgotten, or didn’t mean to give him the note, or… Caleb steadies himself against his car, breathing slowly. One step at a time. 

Back in the mall, at the atrium where the smoothie shop is, he checks his watch. Another four minutes until Nott joins him. Caleb looks among the couches and small tables, picking out a spot where he’ll be able to see both the smoothie kiosk and Nott’s approach. He sits down gingerly, his hands rubbing the knees of his pants. Public furniture is… unsettling.

The line at the kiosk is long, people standing by moving forward slowly. Several step out of line before they’ve made it to the front, shaking their heads in exasperation. The last time he was here, he was the only customer, but Mollymauk Tealeaf seemed to have things handled. Perhaps crowds overwhelm him?

“Hello again, Caleb!” Nott beams, waving as she approaches him, stopping in front of him and looking to the kiosk. “Waiting for the line to die down?”

“Yeah… And I didn’t want to get my lunch without you.” He smiles back, standing and cracking his spine. “Shall we?”

She nods, leads the way to the back of the line, eight or nine people long at this point. They make idle chit-chat, mostly about her schoolwork. She takes classes at his college through the online program, working part time towards a chemistry degree. They’d dodged the conflict of interest problem quite smoothly, Nott already having her general education credits from high school. Though she had audited a few of his more specialized lectures.

“You’ll have to start coming in for practicals soon, yes? Chemistry cannot be all theoretical.”

“Yeah… Soon.” Her fingers poked together, her eyes down. “But I’m getting all of the theoretical done first.”

He can understand and sympathize. A decade ago, the mere thought of stepping before a crowd and speaking would have sent him into a spiraling panic attack. But when talking about things he’s interested in, when talking to people who  _ are _ interested, it’s easier than he expected. He likes teaching, he likes his students, and he likes being able to talk at length about his favorite things while diligent minds take notes and form pertinent questions, some of which have made him rethink his own theories.

They’re up next, however, and Caleb glances at the menu board, no more able to make heads or tails of it than last time. He’ll just ask Mollymauk Tealeaf for another recommendation. Less awkwardly this time, perhaps.

“Well, hello young miss.” That is not Mollymauk Tealeaf’s voice. “What can I get for you?”

“Hello, Deuces. I’ll have a triple berry with energy boost.”

Caleb watches, his eyebrows drawing together, as the smile slowly spreads across the face of the man behind the counter. “Sure thing.” He turns away, working slow and methodical to assemble the smoothie, and Caleb studies his back. Tall, lanky, a shock of bright pink hair on top of his head, trailing down to one shoulder and shaved down to the skin on the other side. This is not Mollymauk Tealeaf and he suddenly feels like a  _ complete _ fool. What was he even going to  _ say _ ?

The smoothie shop employee comes back after a dragging two minutes with Nott’s drink, stands for a moment at the register. “Oh. Right.” He presses a few buttons, takes her offered money and gives her back her change, before turning his smile on Caleb. “Well, hello young man. What can I get for you?”

“I will--um--have a--” What had Mollymauk Tealeaf given him? He has no idea, just that it was delicious and filling and came with a phone number. “I will have a triple berry with energy boost, thank you.” When in doubt, repeat what the previous person had said. Easy.

“Sure thing.”

His fingers tap on the counter as he waits, as he watches the man prepare his lunch. At least he’s managed to act casual for this, to not verbally make a fool of himself. Only mentally. If he can escape this social interaction without drawing attention to his own idiocy, maybe things will be okay. Yes. Focus on that.

“Here you are.” Caleb practically shoves his money to the man behind the counter, lifting his drink and walking away quickly. He finds Nott at a couch, sits down next to her and takes a quick sip.

“This is… good.”

“Deuces makes a good smoothie. You should try his tea, too. Jester says that it’s the best.” Nott looks towards the stand, her eyebrows drawing together slightly. “Maybe if the rush dies down before my break is over, we can go ask him for some. He grows his own tea leaves.”

“Ah, maybe…” He takes another drink, tries to think of a casual way to ask. “What about the other smoothie shop employee? The one who works Wednesdays…”

“Oh, Molly? Molly’s great, too. Really nice. He loves to gossip, though, so I don’t usually come down when he’s working. He’ll talk your ear off if you let him.”

“I see.” Caleb takes another drink to shut himself up, feels the tingle of the energy powder in his throat. “Does he only work Wednesdays?”

“He and Deuces switch off. Molly’s on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. Deuces works Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.” Nott pauses in her drinking, looking at him scrutinously. “Why?”

“I am just curious.” Spoken too fast and he knows it, he can feel the tips of his ears warming with a blush. There’s no way he’s going to admit to anything else. He’s an adult, not a high schooler. “And I was, ah, hoping to see Mollymauk Tealeaf again. He gave me an excellent smoothie last time with no real knowledge of my likes or dislikes.”

The scrutiny is still on her face, her quick mind piecing things together before Caleb can try to counter them. Still, all she does is smile. “I see. Well, he’ll be here tomorrow.”

“So he will…” Caleb drinks quickly, shuts himself up with fresh fruit and the soft buzz of caffeine. 

Not Sunday, though. Nott works on Sundays. He’ll come back Monday, when she isn’t working. He has a longer lunch break, then, too.


	3. Chapter 3

Jester beams as she twirls her lanyard around one finger, her keys jingling with the constant winding and unwinding of the spin. She keeps looking at him from across the atrium, the look of ‘this is amazing’ rather than ‘rescue me.’ Molly wiggles his fingers to her with a grin of his own, blows a quick kiss before he gets to work cleaning up from the lunch rush.

The new guy at the sporting goods store is into kayaking and free diving and all manner of other aquatic sports… and he’s hot enough that Molly feels a sudden need to take up swimming lessons, if this guy will be his teacher. Jester’s already staked her claim, however, brought him over to the smoothie kiosk with flirty smiles and pink cheeks to take their lunch break together. He’s happy for her. Fjord seems nice, if a little clueless about all the flirting.

Mondays are order days and he disappears into the back, leaves the little bell on the counter with a note to ring it for his attention as he gets to work inventorying what they have and measuring it against what they need. There’s a note from corporate dated Saturday, printed out and pinned to the miniscule notice board, stating that next month’s special is going to be strawberry banana. Trite. He adds an extra order of each to his usual, moves on to peaches and hums in thought.

The bell up front finally gets his attention, Jester’s voice carrying back. “...No, really, he won’t mind!”

“Be right with you, darling!” Molly sets his clipboard aside, wipes the dust from his hands onto the seat of his pants and steps up to the front counter, to a familiar face that’s now bright red as Jester walks away. “Oh, a return customer! It was…” He fishes for the name, tracks back through all the people he’s seen in the last week or so. “Caleb, right?”

Somehow, the red glows even brighter, coloring the tips of his ears and making the freckles scattered across his nose and cheekbones disappear. “Yeah… You remembered?”

It’s on the tip of his tongue to say that he always remembers the cute ones, but the words won’t move past his lips. Instead Molly leans a little heavier on the counter, smiles a little more genuinely. “You were in a hurry and on your lunch break. Was the smoothie good?” And he gave this guy his number, the reminder buzzes into his brain.

“It was very good… Mollymauk Tealeaf.”

He gave this guy his number _and_ he saw it but didn’t call. He came back to the smoothie shop instead. “I take it you’re not in a hurry today?”

“Not nearly as much. I was… hmm…” His fingers tap against the counter, eyes darting to the board. “Your recommendation was good. Is there anything else you would suggest I try?”

The atrium is almost empty, Jester and Fjord tossing their cups away and walking off towards their respective jobs. There’s a few lingering people wandering the mall, but… Molly puts his bell back up, his wide smile back. “Have a seat and I’ll bring you something to try, okay? I could use a little lunch myself.” He turns away to start blending before Caleb can see the flush that’s rising on his own cheeks.

This is _definitely_ more forward than flirting.

He sets the two cups down on the table with Caleb, takes a seat across from him and pushes one gently into his space a few minutes later. The man across from him closes the book he’d been reading, lifts the cup and holds it up briefly. “To excellent taste, perhaps?”

“Sounds like a reasonable toast.” They touch flimsy paper cups together for a second before taking sips, Caleb’s eyes lighting up.

“This is spectacular. What is it?”

Molly laughs behind his hand, shaking his head. “Strawberry peach. No one ever believes me when I say it’s good, but they _do_ compliment each other. What were you reading?”

“Ah… It’s a text I’m thinking of incorporating into next semester’s syllabus. Well, elements of it. If it gets an English translation.” Caleb turns the book to him and Molly squints at it before shrugging.

“You’ve lost me before I’ve even heard the title, but I guess that’s why I work at a smoothie shop. So, you teach? At the high school?”

“At the college.”

“Smart _and_ handsome.” That makes Caleb’s cheeks flush again, his gaze dropping. “You must enjoy it, if you’re reading a book written in… is that Polish?”

“German. I teach medieval European history and run a seminar on the theory of… ah, it’s not that interesting.” He tucks the book away in his briefcase, taking another drink. “Do you attend classes somewhere? My friend Nott who works in the bookstore is taking online chemistry courses.”

“Nah, school was never really my strong suit.” Molly waves a hand dismissively, smiling. “I work here and I make enough to keep a roof over my head and food in my belly. I’m doing better than some people in the world, after all.”

It’s easy to talk to Caleb. Sincere. They finish their drinks and Molly collects the cups, stands up with a smile. “You know, I gave you my number… You can text me sometime.”

“I will…” The adorable blush is back on Caleb’s face. “I will consider it, Mollymauk Tealeaf.”

“Call me Molly, please. That’s what all my friends call me.”

* * *

_Unknown Number 5:13pm  
_ _Is this Mollymauk Tealeaf?_

_Molly 5:15pm  
_ _Yes unless you want money  
_ _Who’s this_

_Unknown Number 5:15pm  
_ _Caleb Widogast.  
_ _You gave me your number the other week and we had lunch together today._

_Molly 5:20pm  
_ _I remember you semi cologne right parent see  
_ _;)  
_ _Text to speech doesn’t like Emojis does it_

_Unknown Number 5:21pm  
_ _It does not, but it likes proper nouns.  
_ _Is this a bad time?_

_Molly 5:27pm  
_ _No I’m just cooking dinner  
_ _Give me nine minutes to finish up  
_ _Five_

_Unknown Number 5:27pm  
_ _Nine is very specific.  
_ _Oh._

* * *

There’s not exactly a _thrill_ that goes through him, but settling onto the couch with Yasha and two plates of dinner as she turns on Netflix, Molly can’t deny the little curl of excitement that Caleb--Caleb Widogast, apparently--has actually texted him.

He’s given his number to strangers before, and a few of them had texted him, thinking he was just an easy lay. None of them had followed up in person to see if his flirting was genuine and after he’d turned down casual sex, he hadn’t heard from any of them again.

But Caleb… Caleb seems different. Maybe it’s the hopeless romantic in him. It doesn’t really matter, he’s up for seeing where a conversation leads.

The usual platitudes, what did he make for dinner, what is he up to, is Caleb eating dinner… Molly sighs, dropping his head to Yasha’s shoulder.

“I know that sigh…” Her hand reaches up, fingers stroking through his hair slowly. “Are you falling in love with the idea of a person again?”

“He’s a professor at the college, he’s smart as hell, _really_ cute, and he texted me first when I gave him my number--” her hum is monotone, but he knows her well enough to read it “-- _after_ coming back by work to talk to me in person and make sure I was flirting. Which I totally was. Am. But he’s… Hell, Yasha, he’s my _type_.”

“Your type is ‘literally everyone at least once,’ Molly, I don’t think that counts.”

“Romantic type, not sex type.”

Another hum, this one surprised. She leans over his shoulder, scrolls up and reads the texts. “Ask him out to dinner?”

He snorts, sitting up enough to kiss her temple. “No offense, because I love you dearly, but I don’t think I should take relationship advice from someone who’s idea of flirting is pensive silences.”

“It got me a date for this weekend.”

The words freeze them both, Yasha’s cheeks going red as Molly’s mouth curves into a wicked grin. He drops his phone onto the coffee table, sitting up on the couch and crossing his legs. “Tell me _everything_.”

Flirting with Caleb can wait until he hears about _this_. Maybe he’ll have an idea where to take the conversation after Yasha spills all her deep dark secrets.

* * *

_Molly 2:17am  
_ _What’s the most impulsive thing you’ve ever done_

_Caleb 2:18am  
_ _I… Hmm…  
_ _I once bought a plane ticket to a small town in Alaska after watching some YouTube videos about it._

_Molly 2:18am  
_ _Really???? What was it like????_

_Caleb 2:20am  
_ _I never ended up going.  
_ _About ten minutes after I’d bought the ticket I panicked and called my bank and backcharged it._

_Molly 2:22am  
_ _That’s a shame. It would have made an interesting story_

_Caleb 2:24am  
_ _So, what’s the most impulsive thing you’ve ever done?  
_ _Besides start texting a near stranger at two-seventeen in the morning._

_Molly 2:27am  
_ _That’s a hard question to answer  
_ _But texting at this hour isn’t it  
_ _I once tried to take a road trip alone to Vegas  
_ _By which I mean I stole a car  
_ _Hi @ FBI agent watching me  
_ _The statute of limitations is way over from that  
_ _I was sixteen and I made it fifty miles before Gustav caught up with me  
_ _Ripped me up one side and down the other right there on the side of the road  
_ _Then drove us back and made me pay for all the expenses along the way  
_ _I think my decision is more stupid_

_Caleb 2:33am  
_ _But probably less financially devastating.  
_ _I want to watch YouTube videos about random things now, but I should finish grading these papers and go to bed._

_Molly 2:35am  
_ _Don’t let me distract you_

_Caleb 2:35am  
_ _Please distract me_

_Molly 2:35am  
_ _Or do ;)_

* * *

It’s just so damn easy to talk with Caleb, Molly realizes, his thumb swiping over his phone as he lies in bed. He’s not tired in the least, a side effect of many, many late nights when he doesn’t have work in the morning, and the fact that the other man is apparently also awake and willing to talk… It’s been a while since he’s found another night owl. His free arm cards impatiently through his hair, thumb tapping the link to the video Caleb has sent him. The most impulsive thing someone has ever done, and the reasons for it, is a strong indicator of personality.

That his own is a lie is probably an even stronger indicator, but he’s not looking for introspection at almost three in the morning. If he wants that he’ll get his tarot cards out, do a spread and find new and interesting ways for inanimate objects to judge his life decisions.

He falls asleep, as he often does, with his phone dropping onto the bed beside him, stretched out nude under a thin blanket. The soft buzz of a text from Caleb isn’t enough to draw him back to full wakefulness, but he does roll over, press his forehead to the warm screen of his phone and look blearily at the message notification.

_Caleb 3:04am  
_ _Goodnight, Mollymauk._

“Yeah. ‘Night.”

* * *

Wednesday at the smoothie shop is usually fairly boring outside of rush times. Molly cleans and organizes, makes smoothies for the few customers before the lunch rush.

He hears the bell ring from his place in the back and forces a smile, forces the exhaustion off his face. He’s getting too old for late nights, maybe. That’s depressing. “Be right with you!”

“Take your time!” A familiar voice calls back and he speeds up despite the words, comes out with a genuine smile.

“Caleb, I didn’t expect to see you so early.”

“My last class of the morning had a test, so I get a slightly longer lunch break. I just thought I’d say hi before going to the bookstore.” Their shared smiles are brief, nervous, making eye contact and then looking away.

Molly glances at the clock, hissing a curse between his teeth. Lunch rush is going to start any second. He can’t sneak away to hang out with Caleb. But he can… “Hey, this is super forward, and feel free to say no, but… I have this thing going on this weekend, like, a family thing, and I’m sort of sick of being the family disappointment. Would you be willing to--to I dunno, come along as my plus-one, pretend to be my boyfriend? Dating a college professor might get Gustav off my case about making something of myself.”

They’re both red-faced by the time he finishes the question, weight shifting on their heels. Caleb looks ready to run and Molly curses his stupid brain for not filtering his stupider mouth. Until--

“I. Sure? Yes. I will go. Text me with when and where to be, yeah? Yeah.” Caleb gives a short, awkward wave, practically runs away from the stand and down the hall. A minute later, still staring after him in shock, Molly sees him hurry back and head down the opposite hallway, to where the bookstore actually is.

“Holy shit. He said yes.”

 _Now_ what’s he supposed to do?


	4. Chapter 4

“He took me to a graveyard.”

Nott almost chokes on her drink, coughing and wiping her mouth, staring across the table at him. “ _What_?”

Caleb nods slowly, his fingers curling over the edge of the table. “I mean don’t get me wrong, it was fun, I liked his family, but--we pulled up at a _graveyard_ for this family party and--and I thought I’d just been invited as his pretend date to a _funeral_.”

“You know, Caleb, it’s not too late to run screaming in the opposite direction from this guy.” She raises an eyebrow to him, nodding. “We can always find another place to get lunch together.”

“No, it’s not… it wasn’t _weird_ once we got there? It was… fun. His family, they’re all circus people I guess and he was introducing me around and…” Caleb shrugs, looking away. “It was nice. It felt like I belonged.”

“You were in a cemetery.” They both jump as Caduceus sits down at the table with them, passes each of them a steaming mug of tea and takes a drink from his own. “Sorry. I was eavesdropping. But you were in a cemetery. Graveyards usually have some sort of… Building related to the ceremony of death. Like a church. That sort of thing on the property. Cemeteries are… basically public parks. If you were having a group gathering that wasn’t for mourning, you were in a cemetery.”

“I… did not know the difference. Interesting.” Caleb takes a quick drink of tea, pulling back in surprise before taking another. It’s not… _sweet_ , exactly, but it’s not as bitter as tea he’s had before. Not quite floral. “This is very good, thank you.”

Nott watches them, alternating between her tea and her smoothie rapidly. “How do you know those things, Deuces?”

“Huh? Oh. I just… hmm…” Slowly sipping his own tea, letting his gaze trail away from them to the smoothie kiosk. Caleb and Nott wait almost a full minute in silence, exchanging looks between them before Caduceus’ attention returns to them. “It’s nice, isn’t it? Tuesdays.”

There’s another beat of silence as they wait for him to acknowledge the question, before Caduceus takes a sip from his tea and stands up. “I should get back to work. Please, return the mugs when you’re done with them.”

Nott lets him get four steps away before she snickers. “To be fair, that’s the longest conversation I’ve had with him. Now, tell me _everything_ about your date.”

“Pretend date,” Caleb corrects, turning his plastic smoothie cup on the table. “We met up at his apartment and I drove while he directed me. We got to the gr--cemetery and there were other vehicles there and people but they weren’t wearing black or anything. And Mollymauk had told me to just wear whatever and he was wearing…” His cheeks flush for a moment, his gaze darting away. Tight black leather pants and a loose-fitting purple shirt that shifted and shone as he walked, freshly dyed hair in shades of purple and blue. Caleb had hesitated to even go with him, feeling even more out of place next to the efforts Mollymauk had put into his look for the day. His old brown jacket and black shirt were fine, just… _plain_. “He looked _nice_ but not _formal_.”

“Well…” Nott drinks her tea, fingers gently tapping on the side of the mug. “Did you two have fun?”

“Plenty. He introduced me to everyone in his family… they all seem nice. And they… Mollymauk asked me to be his plus-one because he said his family is disappointed in him, and ‘dating a college professor’ will make him look more successful. Somehow. But… No one seemed to be disappointed in him. It was… odd.”

“People are good at pretending, though. He showed up with you so they put on the happy face. Sort of like…” Nott wiggles her fingers, close enough to words. She’s confided enough things in Caleb over the time they’ve known each other. Her family’s disapproval, her refuge with an uncle… Of course she knows.

“Perhaps, but this seemed… When I say his family, that is what he called them. They were certainly not related by blood, but together by choice. I do not think he would have attended, with or without me, if he did not feel at home with them. A lack of… social obligation, you know?” He shrugs, finishes his smoothie and begins work on his tea. “We spent most of the day at the cemetery and then that evening… well…” His cheeks flush bright again, his eyes dropping and Nott’s hands slam on the table.

“On a first _date_?!”

“ _Pretend_ date. And no, no! We just--” He squirms in the plastic chair, looking around the atrium and lowering his voice. “I do not do well, talking to most people. I can talk about what I know, like to my classes, and there are a few people, like you, that I can talk to easily. Mollymauk… he is like you. We got drive through and went to that little park on the river and just… Sat on a bench and talked and the next thing we knew it was almost midnight. I don’t even remember half the things we discussed, but…” He leans back, sighing and taking a sip of tea. “I think I might… you know, like him.”

She’s a lot closer to being a teenager than he is, so why does he feel like the silly high school student here? He’s over _thirty_ for chrissake, he’s allowed to like another human being romantically. He’s capable of it. He’s just never… Caleb groans, taking a sip of tea to try to escape Nott’s incredulous stare.

“Please stop looking at me like I said I wanted to wear his skin as a suit.”

“That would surprise me less. Caleb, I realize we’ve only known each other for a couple of years…” Nott shrugs, sipping her smoothie. “And obviously you don’t have to let me be privy to your _entire_ life, but… This is the first time that you’ve mentioned an interest in _anyone_ to me.”

He exhales slowly, nodding. “It does not come up… frequently.” It isn’t the first time he’s had these thoughts… just the first time in quite a while. Not since… He shrugs it off, setting his tea cup down and looking towards the ceiling. “I don’t even know how to bring this up with him. To him, we are just friends… barely that. We get along, but Mollymauk… he seems to be the type to get along with everyone, to make everyone smile. I don’t think I warrant special attention from him.” And he isn’t even sure how to tell if he’s wrong. How to tell if whatever feelings have been growing in him since that night are being returned.

“I think…” She blows some hair out of her face impatiently, finishing her smoothie with a slurp. “I think that you play it by ear. Keep being friends, keep talking. See if how you feel changes in any way.”

Judge the feelings of others. Yes. Of course. The easiest possible thing. Caleb’s blank stare must convey these sarcastic thoughts, because Nott makes a face. “Or something! I’m just as bad at this, you know. Maybe ask Jester, she’s good at getting boys to like her. She works at the Hot Topic down at the other end of the mall.”

He is _not_ dragging more people into his weird personal problems. Absolutely not. Never in a million years. No.

* * *

The loud rock music sets his teeth grinding immediately, his fingers curling around the rough edges of his coat sleeves. Teenagers in mostly black, heavy eye make-up, t-shirts declaring their favorite bands riddled with curse words… This is not a comfortable place to be.

Caleb doesn’t try to act casual, simply beelines for the register and looks past the bored-looking girl there. “I am looking for an employee named Jester. Is she working today?”

The girl pops her gum, sighing and pushing off the counter. “Look, buddy, why don’t you just go before we call security, yeah? She’s not interested.”

“That’s not--I’m not--”

“Have it your way.” Her finger hovers over the red alarm button and Caleb takes a step back, looking to the door. He can run, probably.

“Tracie, it’s fine. I know him.” The ball of sunshine that comes from the back is not who he expected. And doubling down on the surprises, he recognizes her. He’s seen her at the smoothie shop more than once. “Hey, I’m going on break in about five minutes, so hang out at the benches, okay, sweetie?”

“You sure, Jes’?” Tracie’s black-painted nail is still near the alarm button, her eyes still narrowed on Caleb.

“Yeah, I’m sure. Caleb’s a friend of mine.” She winks, lifting a heaping stack of shirts and dumping them onto the counter. “C’mon, it’ll go faster if we refold these together.”

Caleb makes his hasty retreat, gingerly taking a seat on the bench outside the store. He can still see Tracie inside, her mouth moving as she talks to Jester, her gaze darting to him now and then. He quickly pulls out a book, occupies himself with the text rather than having a staring contest with a high schooler.

“Try not to scare any more of my employees, okay?” The voice next to him makes him start, slamming the book shut as he looks to Jester. “I realize they all think they’re tough and scary, but most of them are just kids.” She folds her pink skirt under her, taking a seat next to him on the bench and primly crossing her ankles. “So… If you’re here because you’re madly in love with me--”

“I’m not.”

“Heartbreaker. Are you madly in love with Fjord, then? Because he and I--”

“Who?”

Jester huffs, frowning and looking him up and down. Her eyes light up suddenly. “ _Oh_ , you’re madly in love with _Molly_ , aren’t you?”

“I’m not madly in love with anyone!” This was a mistake. This was the worst mistake. “I just--I have a friend, Nott, she works in the book store? And she said…” He buries his head in his hands, looking to either side. “Never mind. No. I’m sorry to waste your time.”

A hand touches his shoulder gingerly, long sparkly fingernails just barely scraping the worn cloth of his coat. “Are you worried that this person who you are most definitely not madly in love with does not like you back? Are you worried that you are misreading friendliness as flirtation?”

The look she’s giving him is so concerned, so sincere, Caleb finds himself nodding before he even knows it. “We’ve been talking, spending some time together. We get along great even though we don’t have much in common. And I’m… starting to think this could be something, but I have no idea if he feels the same way.”

Jester hums, thoughtful, pulling her hand back and inspecting her nails. “We-ell…” She taps one finger against her lip, her mouth suddenly curving into a smile. “If you’re so not-madly-in-love with who I _think_ we’re talking about… He _is_ a huge flirt. Friendly is flirting with him. And I don’t know if I’ve ever heard of him being serious with someone.” Caleb’s face falls, his shoulders hunching inward. Of course he’s wrong about this whole thing. “ _But_ I know someone who _would_ know if he’s interested in something more serious than casual flirting with you.”

He’s hesitant to even pursue this further, to dig himself deeper into the humiliation of getting romantic advice from strangers… But he’s also damnably curious. It’s been a long time since he’s met someone he can talk to casually and even longer since he’s felt some flutter of romantic affection for another person. Just finding out if it is or is not being reciprocated, if it has a chance, is enough. “Who?”

“Yasha, from security. She’s his room mate. If _anyone_ will know how Molly feels about a person, it’s her.” Jester nods in agreement with herself, glancing at her watch. “And now I have to get back to work, but good luck, Caleb!” She beams, jumping up from the bench and skipping back to the store, her voice carrying out over the music. “Oh, I love this song!”

Yasha. From security. Okay… He has information. Now he just has to decide what to do with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New fandom rule: Everyone in the M9 has a "Tracie" counterpart that is their exact opposite.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mollymauk Tealeaf is too self-aware to be in fanfiction.

A custom ringtone is the truest sign of love that he’s ever heard. Yasha’s phone suddenly chimes with an odd mashup of two songs he can’t quite place before she snatches it up and silences it. Molly feels the grin spread across his face.

“Yasha. Babe.”

“Molly, shut up before I shut you up.” She glances at her phone and her cheeks flush red suddenly, slamming it face-down on the table.

“ _Babe_ ,” he repeats emphatically, reaching over and setting his hand on hers. “I am so proud of you for--”

Her hand pulls free of his, claps over his mouth. The fury in her eyes is real enough, but the smile on her face says that it’s not dangerous. “I _will_ shut you up, Tealeaf.”

“Fine,” he mumbles against her palm, grinning as she pulls away. “You know what’s funny, though? You and your mystery girlfriend might be the only piece of mall gossip that Jester has _wrong_.” His hands dive back into the dish water in the sink, finding another plate to scrub clean. She cooked so he’s cleaning up, but Yasha’s not so much of a sadist that she won’t keep him company while he’s at it. “She thinks that you’re just making out with Beau from the 24 Hour Fitness. Behind the Urban Outfitters.”

“Well… maybe we did…” Her eyes dart to her phone again and he smiles indulgently.

“Go talk to your girlfriend. I’m almost done here.”

His own phone chirps with a text alert and he leans over the counter to see, feeling Yasha’s eyes on the back of his head the whole time. Caleb, he sees before the screen goes dark again.

“Molly…” Yasha moves to the hallway, the look over her shoulder to him _too_ casual. “Was that a tell-tale customer text tone?” She disappears into her room before he can retaliate and he huffs, splashing dishwater uselessly in protest. He’ll finish cleaning up and then text with Caleb.

* * *

_Caleb 7:19pm_  
_Weird question that you don’t have to answer._

 _Molly 7:33pm_  
_Oh I love weird!_

 _Caleb 7:36pm_  
_I am unsurprised but I still worried you weren’t going to answer._  
_Do you know anything about trebuchets?_

 _Molly 7:37pm_  
_Yes_

* * *

Molly drops into bed, his thumbs still flying across the phone’s keyboard with every speck of information he knows about trebuchets. How much of it is relevant to Caleb’s actual question, he has no idea, but after nearly half an hour of typing he finally sends the message.

* * *

_Caleb 8:04pm_  
_I did not expect so many details.  
Thank you._

 _Molly 8:06pm_  
_Any time.  
Why’d you need to know?_

 _Caleb 8:10pm_  
_I didn’t but I wanted to ask you something else and then panicked when you didn’t answer and then decided not to ask the actual weird question._  
_…_  
_FUCK I meant to delete all that and write something sane and I hit send instead._

 _Molly 8:13pm_  
_Dnebdbwj  
Seriously?_

 _Caleb 8:13pm_  
_Don’t you keysmash at me.  
But yes seriously._

_Molly 8:20pm  
Oh god I can’t breathe I’m laughing so hard _

_Caleb 8:20pm_  
_Please breathe.  
Also sorry._

 _Molly 8:22pm_  
_Okay I’m breathing again._  
_Don’t be sorry._  
_But now I want to know what the actual weird question is._  
_Please?_  
_C’mon Caleb I won’t be weirded out._  
_Please please please please???  
Don’t make me call you.  >:(_

_Caleb 9:04pm  
So you know how on Saturday we went to your family thing together because you wanted to pretend we were dating? Yeah of course you do you were there. What a dumb question. Okay so I feel like the whole pretending to date thing worked really well and I was wondering if you wanted to try it again. Pretending somewhere to show off that is. Because my ten year reunion from college is coming up and I’d kind of like to take a plus-one along and I think you’d like it? But you don’t have to come with me and like I said, this is a weird question. _

_Molly 9:05pm_  
_I’d love to.  
Details?_

* * *

It’s the least he can do after subjecting Caleb to his whole wild family for a Saturday. Molly smiles as he reads the incoming series of texts, tapping the date to add it to his calendar. They hit it off Saturday night, spent hours down by the river talking, and this sort of casual friendship… It’s something nice. He’s a people-person, he knows it, but still, Molly doesn’t have a lot of people that he’d consider close friends. He has Yasha, but the two of them live their own lives most of the time. Other than her, most people he knows are casual acquaintances at best. He likes Caleb, and Caleb seems to like him, and…

Molly rolls over in bed, hugging his pillow and sighing.

And when they were sitting down by the river Saturday night, perched on the trunk of Caleb’s car with a spread of fast food between them, all he’d wanted to do was lean in and kiss the other man in the moonlight.

So maybe there’s something a little more than just having a new friend, on his end.

* * *

The upside is that Caleb’s college reunion is in a month. The downside is that it’s not at a bar or a cheaply rented banquet hall like a lot of these types of parties are. No, Molly learns as he actually looks up the place Caleb had told him the night before, it’s at a fancy country club with a strict dress code. One none of his wardrobe adheres to, of course.

“You did not go to public school, did you?” he accuses as soon as he sees Caleb at the smoothie stand, leaning over the counter and pointing.

“I… what?”

“I went to public school, Caleb! I don’t own anything considered black tie! All of my pants are either leather or ripped to shit.” The faux dramatics crack with his grin, one leg lifting to show the blown out knee of his jeans. “You know what this means, don’t you?”

Caleb’s still frowning, looking concerned. “You changed your mind? That’s fine, I haven’t actually RVSP’d yet--”

“No, darling, it means you’re taking me shopping. I still want to go with you. Tit for tat, right?” Molly reaches across the counter, touches Caleb’s hand lightly. “I’m not angry. Promise.” The uncertainty is still written across his face, the small frown line between his brows that’s far too cute to be allowed to stay. “You believe me?”

It takes another second, but the frown clears, smooths out as Caleb trails his fingers over Molly’s and smiles. “Fine. I’ll take you shopping. Just don’t expect anything too expensive.”

“Oh my god, I just want to get some lunch.” Both men jump, turn their attention to the woman in line behind Caleb. “Don’t get me wrong, your gay romantic drama is _fascinating_ , but I’m starving.”

Caleb ducks his head, stepping aside so she can step up to the counter, rapidly muttering apologies under his breath. With a sigh, Molly turns to her, putting on his best customer service voice. “What can I do for you, ma’am?”

“Don’t you ma’am me, Tealeaf. Extra large peanut butter protein, no whip.” There’s a pause, her eyes darting down the hall. “Please.”

How the _fuck_ does she know his name? Molly hesitates, frowning, looking her up and down slowly. Tank top, stretchy workout pants, slip-on shoes, her hands wrapped in some sort of white tape and a lanyard draped around her neck with keys and a name badge on it that simply reads _Beau_ and _Instructor_. “Wait, are you Beau? From the 24 Hour Fitness?”

“You can read, congrats. Can you blend up my lunch before my 12:15 self defense class starts?” She leans a bit heavier on the counter, her voice lower. “Also, yeah, I’m _that_ Beau from the 24 Hour Fitness and you’re _that_ Molly from the smoothie shop.”

This is Yasha’s girlfriend. Molly’s gaze lingers a bit longer, a bit more critically, before he shrugs and goes to make her lunch. He stands a better chance of getting information about Beau from Yasha at home than from the woman herself.

And he’s far too curious to know what being ‘ _that_ Molly from the smoothie shop’ actually means.

“That’ll be five-fifty. Have a _great_ day.” The customer service voice is back as she drops seven dollars on the counter, snatches up her liquid lunch, and walks off. Molly turns back to Caleb as he dumps the appropriate change into the tip jar. “That’s my roommate’s girlfriend, pretty sure.”

“Ah… Yasha, right?”

“Yeah, Yasha’s my--how did you know that? She wasn’t home when you picked me up Saturday.”

“My friend who works here, Nott, she suggested I--” Caleb’s face suddenly colors. “No, nevermind why. Jester, from the Hot Topic, she told me.”

The questions are stacking up too quickly and he’s never been one to want to go chasing down rabbit holes like this. So Molly shoves it aside, makes up two of his specialties and sets the little bell on the counter as he goes to sit with Caleb, gently guiding the other man to a couch rather than a table. “Read any good books lately?”

It’s the exact sort of topic change that Caleb seems to need, his body visibly becoming more comfortable as he begins to talk. Molly listens and nods along, takes sips of his smoothie and asks questions when he feels like he has a good one. He barely notices when his arm, slung over the back of the couch almost from the moment he sat down, slips around Caleb’s shoulders and pulls the other man in just a little closer.

* * *

_Molly 6:26pm_  
_Guess who had a liquid lunch today_

 _Jester 6:26pm_  
_You sucked his dick?_  
_How was it?_

 _Molly 6:28pm_  
_No but now I wish I had_  
_:( :( :(_  
_Sigh if only I’d given him a blowjob on the atrium couch._

 _Jester 6:29pm_  
_Okay, okay, okay, fair._  
_Who had a liquid lunch?_

 _Molly 6:32pm_  
_Beau_  
_From the 24 Hour Fitness_

 _Jester 6:32pm_  
_Oshit_

 _Molly 6:35pm_  
_Jester_  
_Darling_  
_Dearest_  
_Jester_  
_What does “THAT Molly from the smoothie shop” mean?_  
_Come on sweetie._  
_You can tell me._

 _Jester 6:36pm_  
_Read 6:35pm_

 _Molly 6:37pm_  
_That doesn’t work when you type it and I don’t have receipts on._

 _Jester 6:42pm_  
_Okay so you CAN’T be mad at me about this. Like at all. Because I am definitely one hundred percent not supposed to tell you about this. People ask me for advice in CONFIDENCE and sometimes giving advice to one person helps another person and Beau asked me about how to ask someone out and I gave her a bunch of REALLY REALLY GOOD advice and then Caleb asked me about how to tell if someone who is TOTALLY NOT MOLLY FROM THE SMOOTHIE SHOP HE SWEARS is flirting with him or is just a friend and I told him to ask someone who is definitely not Yasha your roommate how to know if you were flirting or just being friendly and THEN I went to talk to Beau about something COMPLETELY NOT RELATED and asked her how asking someone out went and she said good and I said that I hoped that Caleb also had good luck on his huge crush on Molly from the smoothie shop._  
_We work in the most dramatic mall EVER._

 _Molly 6:43pm_  
_We really do._  
_They should make a movie about our mall drama._

 _Jester 6:45pm_  
_Mall Rats._

 _Molly 6:45pm_  
_Paul Blart: Mall Cop_  
_Dammit_

 _Jester 6:45pm_  
_Dammit._  
_You’re not mad that Beau knows that Caleb has a huge crush on you, right?_

 _Molly 6:46pm_  
_No._  
_Wait he really has a crush on me?_  
_Oshit_

 _Jester 6:50pm_  
_Only like the biggest crush EVER, Molly._

 _Molly 6:50pm_  
_I hope you’re ready for this spaghetti._  
_The intense drama of the mall just got a mutually pining idiots subplot._

 _Jester 6:53pm_  
_JUST ASK HIM TO BE YOUR BOYFRIEND IT IS LIKE SO EASY._

 _Molly 6:54pm_  
_YOU CAN PRY THE DIFFICULT WAY TO DO THINGS FROM MY COLD DEAD FINGERS._

 _Jester 6:56pm_  
_Okay I’m just going to get some popcorn and enjoy you two being clueless idiots then._  
_Love you Moll-doll. <3 <3_

 _Molly 6:59pm_  
_Love you too, Bes-Jes. <3 <3_  
_Oh Yasha’s home time to interrogate her about her girlfriend._  
_Who is Beau, by the way._

 _Jester 7:00pm_  
_WHAT_  
_WHAT_  
_MOLLY GET BACK HERE_  
_WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY’RE GIRLFRIENDS_  
_WHAT_

 _Molly 7:02pm_  
_Read 7:02pm_  
_;)_


	6. Chapter 6

Owning a car in the city is a nightmare. Traffic jams, reckless drivers, and _parking_ … but it’s far preferable to taking the bus, to sitting in seats that countless strangers have sat in, to touching handholds and railings that so many other hands have touched. Not to mention the people that bring their animals onto public transport. Just the thought makes Caleb shudder.

Although, being stuck in the middle of a mile long traffic jam and not even being able to open a book because he has to pay attention to the road, that’s pretty bad, too.

“If we ever inch up far enough, you can turn right down that road and get around this. I know the area,” Molly supplies from the passenger seat, craning his neck out the window.

Caleb knows this area, too. It’s the area where he locks his doors and doesn’t look around as he drives through. The area he avoids after sunset. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Three blocks up there’s a feeder road that hits the freeway at the next on-ramp. I used to walk this way to work, before I saved up enough for a bus pass.” He holds up his phone with a map open and Caleb glances at the proof on instinct.

“I… okay, sure.” A horn honks behind him and he tenses, lets his car inch up another half foot. They’re almost at the side road, if he can get another couple of feet forward… “I always thought this part of town was dangerous.”

“I mean, I wasn’t walking around flashing my Rolex with hundreds sticking out of my pockets, but… Generally as long as you leave people alone, they’ll leave you alone. I got more trouble from the ‘good samaritans’ who wanted to save my soul than from anyone who actually lives out here.” Molly snorts, tucking his phone back into his pocket. “Besides, it’s a convenient place to leave the fresh fruits that my boss wants me to throw away.”

With a gun to his head, Caleb doesn’t think he can name a person more different from himself than Mollymauk Tealeaf. And he _knows_ he can’t name a person he’s more interested in. “I guess I’ve never thought of it that way.”

Something breaks in the traffic and he moves forward more smoothly, signals and turns down the narrow side street even as the flow of cars up ahead seems to resume normal patterns. Caleb follows Molly’s directions to the freeway, frowning as he’s instructed to get on the northbound lane.

“The mall’s one exit south, though.”

Molly snorts. “Caleb, please. You’re taking me shopping, we’re going to the _good_ mall. Besides, I need to keep up the Bruce Wayne and Batman thing with Caduceus.”

Northbound they go, to the ‘good’ mall on the other side of town. The mall that’s seen a recent enough renovation that businesses are moving in faster than they’re moving out. “I’ve met him, you know. You two don’t look alike enough to be Bruce Wayne and Batman.”

“Let me guess, the butts don’t match?”

“What?”

“I’ll show you later, it’s an internet thing. So.” He props his feet up on the dashboard as they pick up speed, turning a sly grin to Caleb. “I don’t think I got a chance to properly thank you for coming with me on Saturday. I’ve been getting texts from my family all week about how charming you are.”

His eyes stay on the road, but he can feel the heat of a blush on his cheeks. “It… was just a favor. I had fun.” Like he’d told Nott over drinks on Tuesday. He’d had fun at the cemetery, but his mind jumps to sitting on the trunk of his car, sipping drive through milkshakes and eating chicken nuggets as the moon rose over the river. To the hours of casual conversation, nothing stilted or feeling like a script, just talking… His mind jumps to dropping Molly off at home, wanting to lean over and kiss him goodnight before he got out of the car. “Unfortunately I don’t think my reunion will be as, shall we say… festive?”

“Darling, I can liven up any room. You might be able to take me out of the circus, but don’t think you can take the circus out of me.”

“Just don’t…” _embarrass me_ , he wants to finish, but the words still in his throat. Embarrassed by being with Molly? He can’t imagine it. Caleb swallows them down again, darts a glance over with a small smile. “Don’t perform any trapeze on a chandelier. Parlor tricks only.”

“Parlor tricks only, that’s fair.” Molly’s bright smile pushes the rest of the worry out of him, for the moment.

* * *

If he thought Molly was good looking before, in casual jeans and colorful t-shirts, in tight leather pants and flowing shirts that cling to his skin just right… He’s downright _breathtaking_ in a pair of slacks and a button up. He models the options outside of the dressing room, cocks his hips to one side, then the other. “It’s your crowd, Caleb, what do you think?”

His fingers are shaking as he reaches out, as he carefully slips his arms around Molly from behind and buttons the top button of his shirt. His fingers are shaking and he doesn’t want to overstep any boundaries, but he also doesn’t want to… to… “You’re the center of attention in any crowd, aren’t you?”

“I can tone it down, if you want.”

“Mmm… no.” Black slacks and a deep crimson shirt, it just needs something a little more… “Give me five minutes.”

He finds the first piece easily enough, a formal black vest. The second item he ponders over for almost four minutes, finally walking away from the ties. Going through the women’s department is faster to get back to the dressing rooms and Caleb pauses on his way, bites his lip. Molly doesn’t _have_ to wear it, of course, but… It’s multi-colored and shimmering, an iridescent mix of purple and teal that reminds him of a peacock, somehow. He picks up the scarf and brings it back, passes the two pieces over to Molly to try on together.

“You don’t have to wear the scarf, but I thought--”

“Would you believe I already own this exact scarf?” Still, he slips it around his neck, tucks it into the vest like a cravat and does a slow turn in front of the mirror. “Opinions?”

As if he doesn’t know how good he looks, as if he doesn’t know how the colors and cut compliment him… Caleb gives a flushed smile, nodding quickly. “You look gorgeous.”

“Gorgeous, hm? Are you trying to use me to make everyone jealous?”

“I--” _Is_ he just using Molly to make everyone (well, not everyone, just… certain people) jealous? He doesn’t want to take advantage, he just… “Do you think I’m using you?”

“No more than I was using you to show off to my family.” Molly pats his hand gently, leaning in just a little closer to him. “Looks like I have my outfit. Should we go get some lunch?”

His fingers trace against Molly’s for a moment, tingling with the warmth of his hand. “Lunch. Yes. I’m the one dragging you to this event, so… today is my treat.”

“I’m not going to argue with you about it, but you really don’t have to. Back in a flash.” Into the changing room again Molly disappears, the door shutting firmly behind him. Caleb rocks back on his heels, looking around the store. It’s expensive, but he can afford it… He doesn’t have many hobbies besides books to waste money on. And he has a feeling that teaching at the college pays more than a few days a week at the smoothie stand.

“So,” Molly’s voice is light as he comes out of the changing room, his arms loaded with items. “Where should we go for lunch?”

“Somewhere that serves solid food, I think.”

“Was that a joke?”

Caleb looks at him for a beat, genuinely perplexed. “No?”

“Shame, it was funny.”

There’s the food court on the second floor or the row of restaurants on the first. They’re still early for the lunch rush in either, but… “Mm… you decide,” Caleb announces as they leave the check out with their bags. The mall has far too many options for food, he’ll figure out what he likes at wherever Molly chooses.

He can feel eyes on him, fights the urge to look that way. Molly stops at a directory, skimming it. “Tacos, pizza, Chinese, burgers, or vegan. Pick two.”

“Huh?”

“It’s a thing Yasha and I do sometimes when we can’t make a decision. One of us picks five things, the other picks two from that, then the first picks one of those two. That way we’re both happy with whatever’s chosen because we picked it, but we’re also not locked in ‘I don’t know, you decide’ forever. So… pick two.”

Caleb considers the list, immediately taking vegan off. Tofu doesn’t feel right. Tacos might be good… and burgers also sound appealing. “Tacos or burgers. Does it really work?”

"Tacos, then." Molly’s hand finds his, leads him through the growing crowd to the escalators. Tacos, there’s that cantina place. Not quite food court, not quite full sit down. Counter service, he thinks it’s called, made to order at a bar, tables available inside. A little quieter than the general food court. “Most of the time, as long as one of us can narrow down our options to five. Which usually isn’t too hard when those five options are broad categories. Though it was a nightmare when we were apartment hunting, there’s only so far you can narrow things down before you have to start making specific choices.”

“How long have you two known each other?” Molly’s hand doesn’t leave his even after the crowd thins, and Caleb adjusts his grip slightly, holds more firmly. He likes how warm Molly’s hand is in his.

“Yasha’s been with me for… most of my life. We decided to head out on our own together a few years ago. Seems to be working out so far.”

The vague answer seems to invite more questions… or maybe it’s to discourage them? Caleb scrunches his nose in thought, considering and then rejecting responses. He must take too long on the thought, because Molly speaks again in his silence. “She’s like my best friend, you know? We look out for each other.”

“Oh… That sounds really… nice.” The word falls flat, he can hear it dropping into the conversation like a stone into a pond, and Caleb curses himself as his cheeks flush again. Why is he so bad at just _talking_ to people like a normal human? Why is he--his hand pulls free of Molly’s, lifting so he can chew the ragged cuff of his coat instead of trying to talk.

“Hey…” The word is quiet, Molly’s eyes making contact with his for only a second before they both look away. Just long enough for Caleb to see something there that takes some of the stress off the situation. “It’s nice hanging out with you, too.”

That’s easier. Molly’s smile is easier to return, his hand easier to take again and squeeze. They split off from each other at the cantina, study the menu (much less confusing than the smoothie shop, Caleb notes with relief) and place their orders.

“No guacamole for you?” Caleb asks as he takes a seat next to Molly at one of the high tables, pulling the lid off his taco salad and carefully mixing it together.

“They put cilantro in their guac here, and cilantro tastes like soap.”

“It does?” He takes a quick lick of the guacamole on his fork, frowning. “Doesn’t taste soapy to me.”

“It’s… a whole thing. Luckily it’s pretty easy to avoid, and I can always make guac at home without the nastiness.” Molly grins, lifting his burrito and taking a bite. “The rest of it is good, though.”

The ease of conversation is back, the light chatting as they eat. Tacos were a good choice, even if neither of them went for that in the traditional sense. And it’s still early in the day, just past noon. No classes because of a holiday, no work for Molly… They have plenty of time to just hang out, still.

“Hey, Molly…” he starts as they throw away their trash from lunch, resume the stroll through the mall.

“Yes, Caleb?”

“Do you want to…” Caleb steadies his breathing, forces himself to make brief eye contact before looking away. “I mean, do you have plans after this?”

“Not really. I thought shopping would take longer, so I’m free all day.”

“Do you… want to…” He can do this. He can do this. He’s going to do this. “Maybe keep hanging out?”

The smile he sees out of the corner of his eye is gentle, warm, not at all mocking like he feared it would be. “I’d love to. Here, or somewhere else?”

“Well…” One toe in the pool, he may as well jump all the way in. “I’ve got Netflix and a comfortable couch.” He’s really doing this, he’s really inviting Molly over for what he’s pretty sure is called ‘Netflix and chill.’ Or at least to hang out. Assuming Molly says yes. Assuming he isn’t weirded out by it all. Don’t overthink, don’t overthink, don’t…

Molly looks thoughtful, his lips still curled into a soft smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you know how hard it was to not put Molly in more purple? It was so hard. But I did give him a scarf that I'm pretty sure Taliesin actually owns.


	7. Chapter 7

He’s just a little bit in awe, if he’s being honest. The neighborhood is a bit nicer than where his apartment is, the townhomes significantly newer construction, with grassy yards and tree-lined streets and sidewalks colored in a million faded pastel hopscotch grids. It takes a closer look to see the flaking paint and used cars, to see that while the people that live in these blocks might work full time, they’re still squeezing to make ends meet.

Caleb wasn’t rich by any means, college professor or not. Better off than Molly, maybe, but not rich.

Still, the house he pulls up in front of seems well taken care of. There’s no clutter in the yard, no broken windows that he can see. The garage door opens to a small space, just large enough for a car and some stacked boxes. He gets out when Caleb shuts the car off, stretches his arms over his head and grins. “Nice neighborhood.”

“It’s close to the campus, but not so close a lot of students live here,” Caleb offers, unwinding the scarf from around his neck as he leads the way inside. Molly’s eyes try to be everywhere at once, take in as much of the _Calebness_ (it’s a word, fight him) that this place has to offer. A coffee pot on the counter, an electric kettle beside it, two mugs with them, both white with black writing on them, _coffee_ and _tea_ , he guesses from the letters he can see and the placement. A few dishes in the sink, a few more on a drying rack. A fridge with a rewritable calendar on it and a smaller reminder board below, several things written in neat block capitals across both.

He just gets a glimpse to a screened in porch through the back door, to couches and a table with books spread on them before Caleb is leading him down a short hallway into the living room.

Bookshelves crowd in around the other furniture, flank the sofa and overspill volumes onto the arms and cushions. The television stands not on an entertainment deck but on another series of stuffed bookshelves. Even the coffee table has a spread of books across its surface and under it. Caleb adds to that pile from the ones on the couch, smiling sheepishly.

“Big reader?” Molly teases him lightly, taking a seat on the cleared space and getting comfortable.

“I have to have something to do to unwind. Besides, books are…” Caleb’s cheeks flush dark, his words spoken more to the stack of paperbacks in his hands than to Molly. “They’re a kind of magic.”

If he’s waiting to be mocked, he’ll have to keep waiting. Molly only nods, patting the spot next to him lightly. “Have you read all of these?”

The relaxation is visible as Caleb takes a seat, stops hiding behind his stack of books and settles back into the couch. “At least a few times. These are my favorites, the ones I can’t bear to part with… Usually I bring books down to the mall for the Saturday book swap when I’m done with them.”

“These…” Molly gestures around the room, the veritable library that Caleb lives in. He’s even speaking quieter, he realizes, like this is an actual library. “These are your favorites?”

“Well, these are… about half of my favorites. The office has some more, and… I keep my favorite favorites in my room.”

The laughter comes now, gentle disbelief. “I am impressed. Getting me to read for school was always like pulling teeth, apparently.” Getting him to read anything longer than a memo _now_ is like pulling teeth, come to think of it. “So, does the Widogast Personal Library have an organization system besides by favoritism?”

Caleb’s eyes light up and Molly can almost feel the excitement, sits forward a little in anticipation. Talking to Caleb about _anything_ is fascinating to him. There’s just something about the other man’s openness… “Sort of. They move around a lot, so it’s more general categories. Like I keep a lot of fiction down here, because this is where I relax. The office upstairs is almost all work-related books, nonfiction and historical accounts and _some_ historical fiction, if it’s good. I keep the ones that I’m reading right now in my room and the ones that I have memorized, too.”

He could listen to Caleb talk all day. Molly’s hand crosses the couch cushion between them, touches Caleb’s lightly and encourages him to continue on.

By the time that they remember the plan to watch something on TV, their stomachs are rumbling with thoughts of dinner. Caleb passes over the remote, urging him to find something he wants to watch, promising to be back with food in just a minute.

“I really don’t mind helping cook, and then we can find something together,” Molly offers, trying to stand despite the hand on his shoulder pressing him back to the couch.

“You’re a guest and I’m really only going to heat up some leftovers. It won’t take long.”

He relents only when Caleb seems ready to give in, flips through options on Netflix as the kitchen light comes on and the sounds in the other room indicate microwaving tupperware.

At least he’s not putting himself out preparing a meal alone, then. Molly lets his attention settle onto the television, skimming programming options. His eyes widen as he spots one, hitting play on episode one even before the trailer starts.

“ _Bake Off_!” he calls to Caleb, pausing before the video can start properly. “God, I forgot this was on Netflix.”

“ _Bake Off_?” Caleb repeats, coming back to the living room with two plates and setting them carefully on the coffee table, passing over a fork.

“Literally the best show ever.” He hits play as Caleb sits down, settles in to eat and watch some charming British people be concerned over breads and cakes. It really is the best show ever.

* * *

The sun’s down when they finally call it a day, the wind kicking up leaves from the trees and rattling them across the road. Molly insists on taking the bus home instead of making Caleb drive him all the way across town after dark, so Caleb insists on walking him to the bus stop three blocks up.

Their hands brush as they walk in comfortable silence and Molly moves almost without thought, links his pinky into Caleb’s and gives a little twist of his hand. “Hey…”

“Hey?” The streetlights paint everything orange, but he swears he sees a blush rising out from under the scarf over Caleb’s lower face.

“Today was fun. Thanks.” He shakes the bag of new clothes, smiling. “I can’t wait to show this look off and make everyone you went to college with super jealous.”

“I’m glad you’re excited for it.” They stop at the covered bench, ducking into the shelter as the wind kicks up again. The bus should be there soon enough, Caleb could leave and he’ll be fine on his own. “Molly, I…”

The hiss of air brakes from the bus covers whatever words Caleb might or might not say, but whatever moment might have been about to happen is over before it begins. Caleb pulls his pinky free from Molly’s, wringing his hands together briefly as the bus pulls up in front of them. Molly looks over his shoulder, hesitates just a moment before leaning in, pressing a kiss to Caleb’s forehead.

“Today was..." _don't say fun again, don't say fun again_ , "...real good. I’ll text you when I make it home.”

He gets on the bus before he has to see Caleb’s face, before he has to hear an answer. Swipes his bus pass and takes a seat on the opposite side so he doesn’t have to look at Caleb out the window.

And if his heart is pounding, if his hands are clammy, if he’s suddenly, desperately afraid that he overstepped the boundaries of friendship with a platonic gesture he does all the time?

Those are problems for when he’s not on public transportation.

* * *

He’s not imperceptive, but a person also has to be completely oblivious not to know what something is bothering Jester. The fact that her fist is slowly closing on her plastic cup tight enough to crack it is only one sign. The daggers she’s glaring towards the sporting goods store are another.

Molly takes a seat next to her with his own drink, his hand squeezing her shoulder. “Talk to me, darling.”

“Molly, do you ever think that you like someone, and that they like you, but then they go and do something that is, like, the opposite of liking you?” Jester sighs, dropping her head to his shoulder and taking another terse sip.

“I assume everyone loves me all the time, but sure, I can see where you’re coming from. What’d he do?”

Her silence isn’t thoughtful, it’s brooding. He can tell by the continued flexing of her fingers on the smoothie cup. “Fjord is getting _coffee_ with his _manager_ Avantika.”

As a rule, this is not a scandal. Also as a rule, he gasps like it is. “ _Coffee_?”

“I _know_ , Molly! I went to see if he wanted to come here with me and they were leaving together in her _car_! She’s seducing him.” The last sentence is spoken not with jealousy but with conviction. “That is _so_ not an appropriate thing for a manager.”

He has no input on if it’s appropriate or not. What he does have is an imagination fed by too many movies. “Jester. Darling.”

“Molly, sweetness.”

“You know what this means?”

She turns away from her glaring, finally, blinks up at him with confusion. Her eyes light up just before he speaks, their words coming at the same time. “Our mall drama just got a love triangle!”

“I’m not ending it in a threeway, though. She is _not_ my type,” Jester adds on, taking another sip from her drink. The sour look leaves her face after a moment, her elbow nudging his ribs. “Speaking of our mall drama, how’s your mutual pining?”

The heat of a blush on his cheeks is not missed by her narrowing eyes. Molly wiggles in his chair, making a show of taking a drink and checking for customers at the counter. “I kissed him--”

Jester gasps, “Molly!”

“--on the forehead!” he finishes, louder than intended, taking another quick drink. “And we haven’t really talked since then and I don’t know if it was too forward, or too friendly, or too dismissive or…” He shrugs, waving it off. “I like him. You say he likes me. We’re friends, at least, and… it’s fun to have a no-strings-attached plus-one for stuff. Remind me to send you a picture of the outfit he helped me pick out for this class reunion of his, it’s really cute. Makes my butt look great.”

Leaning back in her chair, inspecting his backside briefly (what little she can see, with him sitting down, that is), Jester huffs. “ _Anything_ makes your butt look great, you have a great butt.”

“I know, darling, I know.” At least her mood has improved somewhat. Molly waves Jester off at the end of her lunch break, slipping back behind the counter and cleaning. Better to focus on someone else’s romantic woes than his own.

But… maybe he should text Caleb after work.


End file.
